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Community, Faith, Labor Groups and City Officials Speak Out at City Hall to Support Court’s Orders in Stop-and-Frisk Lawsuit

press@ccrjustice.org

October 7, 2013, New York – Today, ­­­ the coalition Communities United for Police Reform and representatives from community, faith, labor, and law enforcement groups joined City officials, attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights and co-counsel to voice support for moving forward with the remedial process ordered by the court in the landmark class action lawsuit Floyd, et al. v. City of New York, et al.

Said Center for Constitutional Rights attorney Darius Charney, “With representatives from all corners of New York life coming together to voice their opposition to yet more delays sought by the Bloomberg administration, the community has spoken: it is past time to begin the process of reforming the NYPD to make our city a place where all New Yorkers feel safe and respected.”

Ruling that the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices employ racial profiling and violate the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments after a 10-week trial last spring, the court appointed an independent monitor and ordered a joint remedial process that includes input, not only from the parties in the lawsuit, but also from stakeholders.

After the court denied the City’s motion to stay the remedial processes last month, the City is seeking a stay with the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals while its appeal of that court’s orders is pending. Today, Floyd plaintiffs submitted a brief opposing the stay, and community groups, faith leaders, unions, and policing experts filed declarations affirming that a stay of the court’s processes is not in the community’s interest. Elected officials, such as Speaker Christine Quinn and Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio have already filed declarations and briefs opposing the City’s request for a stay.

Among the groups to file declarations were 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, National Association of Latino Officers, SEIU local 32BJ, Malcom X Grassroots Movement, the National Association of Social Workers, Canaan Baptist Church, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, Streetwise and Safe, and the NAACP. Councilmembers included Quinn, Helen Foster and Robert Jackson.

Said Joo-Hyun Kang of Communities United for Police Reform, "Mayor Bloomberg needs to stop playing politics with New Yorkers' civil rights and safety, and allow our city to get on the path to complying with the Constitution. We have an incredible opportunity to unite our city around a participatory process that prioritizes both safety and rights. Opposing the joint remedies process and reforms to stop-and-frisk will only leave New York further harmed by racial profiling and without true safety for all communities."

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a 501c3 organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.